Gaming has long held a fascination with everything Norse. Games have sent us there for years, from the newer God of War games to ancient titles like The Lost Vikings. Now with Valheim becoming a phenomenon, games are heading Norse all over again. Aska is a brand new survival sim where you work to make sure an entire Viking tribe can survive, and it just entered Steam Early Access.
It’s important to recognize that Aska isn’t just a survival game like many others out there – it does something completely different to many in the field. While this is a survival sim, you have to eat, craft shelter, and gather supplies, there’s a key difference. You’re not alone out there – not only does this feature co-op with up to three friends, you’ll be working alongside and for an entire settlement of Vikings.
When you start off you’ll be on your lonesome, flattening land as you try to eke out your existence with whatever base materials you have on hand. Soon, however, you’ll begin to attract villagers, and that’s where the game really hits its stride. They’ll help out, carrying stuff for you and gathering resources, meaning your time is suddenly freed up to do other things. You might build more housing, you might go exploring, you might take on a few fearsome beasts. All the while your village, if set up properly, is humming away working quietly, going from barely surviving to thriving.
All this means that Aska shares some DNA with games like Manor Lords or Soulmask rather than more traditional survival adventures like Valheim or Sons of the Forest. It’s not afraid to try something new with the genre, adding in a serving of management sim into your meal of survival stew. While it may cling to Nordic themes like many games have done before, it’s offering something fresh in the survival space, and initial reviews on Steam appear to be verging on the positive.
If all this appeals then you’re in luck, Aska is out now in Steam Early Access and you can save 10% until Thursday July 11. Head over to the game’s store page to check it out for yourself.
You can also take a look at our guide to the best Viking games you can play, as well as our picks for the fantasy games out there right now.
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